Quonset Point

For other uses, see Quonset (disambiguation).

Quonset Point in the 1960s

Quonset Point, also known simply as Quonset, is a small peninsula in Narragansett Bay in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It is contained entirely within the town of North Kingstown. Its name is widely known from the Quonset hut, which was first manufactured there. "Quonset" is a Native American word likely meaning "small long place".

Quonset Point was the location of Naval Air Station Quonset Point, a large United States Navy base. The peninsula is now used for industrial purposes and is partially abandoned. A major industrial tenant is a hull-fabrication and outfitting facility for Electric Boat Corporation.

Rhode Island Route 403 is a freeway branching from Route 4 that serves the area; Quonset is also served by a railroad spur from Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. The Providence and Worcester Railroad which provides freight service along this stretch of the Corridor delivers freight to the Seaview Railroad { http://www.inrailgroup.com/seaview/index.html } which provides local freight service within the industrial park. The section of the Northeast Corridor between Quonset Point/Davisville and the junction with the P&W's main line at Boston Switch in Central Falls, R.I. has recently been upgraded to handle 19-foot (5.8 m) high auto carriers. [2]

Port of Davisville

In 2009, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) decided that the Port would be home to the Okeanos Explorer, a one-of-a-kind research vessel devoted entirely to exploring unknown parts of the world's oceans. It’s a former Navy surveillance ship acquired by the NOAA and converted into a deep sea research vessel.

Transportation

The Quonset Business Park offers an extensive mix of transportation opportunities:

•The Port of Davisville offers 4,500 feet (1,400 m) of berthing space, consisting of two Piers (each 1,200 feet (370 m) in length), a bulkhead, 29 ft (8.8 m) channel draft, on-dock rail and a 14-acre (57,000 m²) lay down area;

•The Quonset Airport, managed by the Rhode Island Airport corporation and operated by AvPorts is a general aviation facility with a 7,500 ft (2,300 m) runway, a staffed control tower and an Instrument Landing System;

•Rail service within the Park is provided by Seaview Transportation Co., Inc. and consists of approximately 14 miles (23 km) of track in two branches;

•The Quonset Business Park benefits from convenient access to Interstate 95 (4 miles) via a 4-lane limited-access highway.

•Ferry service to and from Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard is provided by Rhode Island Fast Ferry, Inc. which operates a high-speed ferry out of the Business Park.

•The Rhode Island Public Transportation authority currently has bus stops at Electric Boat, The Gateway (Kohl's)and on Post Road on the border of the Quonset Business Park. ĈĈ

Ferry dock

The ferry dock at Quonset Point is the main terminal for the Martha's Vineyard Fast Ferry Millennium to Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts. A shuttle bus leaves every hour before the ferry departs; and after the ferry arrives, a bus travels to the Providence Airport (T. F. Green State Airport) and the Kingston Amtrak Train Station.

Events on Quonset Point

The Rhode Island Air Show is held annually by the Rhode Island National Guard.

Quonset Point in the 1960s from an aerial shot.

During the 1950s, Quonset Point was home port for the aircraft carriers, the USS Antietam, USS Tarawa, and the USS Leyte.

During the 1960s and early 1970s, four aircraft carriers used Quonset Point as their home port. The carriers were the USS Lake Champlain, the USS Essex, the USS Wasp, and the USS Intrepid.

BASE: Advancing a Post-Military Landscape An extensive photographic survey of the Quonset Point & Davisville Naval Bases completed in 2000 by Erik Carlson & Erica Carpenter.